Grant Page, the Australian stunt icon who performed in and coordinating stunts for the original Mad Max, sequel Beyond Thunderdome, the upcoming prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and more than 100 other films and TV series, died Thursday in a car crash. He was 85.
His son, Leroy Page, told Daily Mail Australia that his father hit a tree while he was driving near his home in Kendall, New South Wales. “He died in very high spirits, and he was very motivated,” the younger Page told the paper. “He was very happy.”
A legend of Aussie cinema, Page worked with his Oscar-winning countryman George Miller on the 1979 action classic Mad Max, which introduced the world to Mel Gibson. He performed and served as stunt coordinator on that gas-guzzling post-apocalyptic thriller as well as its 1985 second sequel Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which also starred Tina Turner. He also worked on Miller’s upcoming prequel,...
His son, Leroy Page, told Daily Mail Australia that his father hit a tree while he was driving near his home in Kendall, New South Wales. “He died in very high spirits, and he was very motivated,” the younger Page told the paper. “He was very happy.”
A legend of Aussie cinema, Page worked with his Oscar-winning countryman George Miller on the 1979 action classic Mad Max, which introduced the world to Mel Gibson. He performed and served as stunt coordinator on that gas-guzzling post-apocalyptic thriller as well as its 1985 second sequel Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which also starred Tina Turner. He also worked on Miller’s upcoming prequel,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Grant Page, the larger-than-life Australian stunt performer famous for his jaw-dropping work in films including Mad Max, The Man From Hong Kong and Mad Dog Morgan, has died. He was 85.
Page died Thursday when the car he was driving near his home in Kendall on the coast of New South Wales hit a tree, his son Leroy Page told Daily Mail Australia.
Page worked with director Brian Trenchard-Smith on more than a dozen projects, including The Stuntmen (1973), King Fu Killers (1974), The Man From Hong Kong (1973) — where Page fights martial arts expert Jimmy Wang Yu in scenes using knives, cleavers and meat hooks — Deathcheaters (1976), Stunt Rock (1978) and Hospitals Don’t Burn Down! (1978).
And for the documentary Dangerfreaks (1987), Trenchard-Smith filmed Page standing on a ledge outside the perimeter fence on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York.
Page “successfully tampered with the laws of physics and probability,” Trenchard-Smith...
Page died Thursday when the car he was driving near his home in Kendall on the coast of New South Wales hit a tree, his son Leroy Page told Daily Mail Australia.
Page worked with director Brian Trenchard-Smith on more than a dozen projects, including The Stuntmen (1973), King Fu Killers (1974), The Man From Hong Kong (1973) — where Page fights martial arts expert Jimmy Wang Yu in scenes using knives, cleavers and meat hooks — Deathcheaters (1976), Stunt Rock (1978) and Hospitals Don’t Burn Down! (1978).
And for the documentary Dangerfreaks (1987), Trenchard-Smith filmed Page standing on a ledge outside the perimeter fence on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York.
Page “successfully tampered with the laws of physics and probability,” Trenchard-Smith...
- 3/15/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Devilishly cheeky and highly intelligent, the Mad Max stuntman always put on a show – even when just driving you to the Rsl
Grant Page, Australia’s most legendary movie stuntman, has passed away age 85. He had a literal and metaphorical explosive impact on our national cinema, his legacy forged in the fires of the Ozploitation movement, his spectacular oeuvre written in tyre streaks and burn marks. If you’ve ever seen somebody in an Ozploitation movie running around on fire or hurtling themselves off a bridge, there’s a good chance it was him.
The most famous film Page worked on – as lead stuntman and stunt coordinator – was 1979’s Mad Max. He performed several of the film’s legendary stunts and, during production, collided with a large semi trailer while riding a motorbike. He ended up in hospital with its leading lady, both of them suffering broken femurs and multiple fractures.
Grant Page, Australia’s most legendary movie stuntman, has passed away age 85. He had a literal and metaphorical explosive impact on our national cinema, his legacy forged in the fires of the Ozploitation movement, his spectacular oeuvre written in tyre streaks and burn marks. If you’ve ever seen somebody in an Ozploitation movie running around on fire or hurtling themselves off a bridge, there’s a good chance it was him.
The most famous film Page worked on – as lead stuntman and stunt coordinator – was 1979’s Mad Max. He performed several of the film’s legendary stunts and, during production, collided with a large semi trailer while riding a motorbike. He ended up in hospital with its leading lady, both of them suffering broken femurs and multiple fractures.
- 3/15/2024
- by Luke Buckmaster
- The Guardian - Film News
If you want to see a wild midnight movie, there’s a little-known Australian movie called Stunt Rock, which might blow your mind. In it, an Australian stuntman named Grant Page (playing himself) visits Los Angeles to do stunts for a TV show and hooks up with a heavy metal band named Sorcery (the band is like Kiss if they also did magic). It has many fans, including Eli Roth, who used one of Sorcery’s songs in his Death Wish remake and is prominently featured in an incredible documentary about Australian exploitation films (Ozploitation) called Not Quite Hollywood.
More than anything, this documentary was a loving tribute to Page, who did incredible stunts for almost every cool action film shot in Australia over the last fifty years, including Mad Max, and Road Games (in which he played the mostly unseen villain). Sadly, Mark Hartley, the director of Not Quite Hollywood,...
More than anything, this documentary was a loving tribute to Page, who did incredible stunts for almost every cool action film shot in Australia over the last fifty years, including Mad Max, and Road Games (in which he played the mostly unseen villain). Sadly, Mark Hartley, the director of Not Quite Hollywood,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
I like to think that I am a pretty good driver. I first got my license over 13 years ago, and in that time, I have never been in a car accident or even been given a speeding ticket. Driving is fun for me. But I've never been the kind of person who has wanted to drive some highly powered sports car really fast down an open highway or go off-road in some behemoth to prove how rugged I am. A nice drive at a reasonable speed. That's good for me.
So I could never work on a "Mad Max" movie. The amount of skill, dexterity, trust in your collaborators, and love of thrills required to succeed in George Miller's high-octane apocalyptic world would be far too much for most people. I know I couldn't deal with the pressure and...
I like to think that I am a pretty good driver. I first got my license over 13 years ago, and in that time, I have never been in a car accident or even been given a speeding ticket. Driving is fun for me. But I've never been the kind of person who has wanted to drive some highly powered sports car really fast down an open highway or go off-road in some behemoth to prove how rugged I am. A nice drive at a reasonable speed. That's good for me.
So I could never work on a "Mad Max" movie. The amount of skill, dexterity, trust in your collaborators, and love of thrills required to succeed in George Miller's high-octane apocalyptic world would be far too much for most people. I know I couldn't deal with the pressure and...
- 8/17/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Richard Franklin has been called “The Australian Hitchcock” and 1981’s Road Games is the movie that earned him that title. Unlike many of his contemporaries, however, Franklin did not particularly emulate Hitchcock’s visual style. Instead, he learned how to structure a story and effectively build a sense of dread from the Master of Suspense. He also learned the importance of adding healthy doses of humor along the way to make the suspense even more effective. Though Hitchcock is Franklin’s greatest influence, there is plenty of John Ford and Howard Hawks, along with contemporaries like John Carpenter and Steven Spielberg to be found in his style. This is not to say that Franklin’s work is derivative. Every good filmmaker has influences that they synthesize into their own style. Franklin’s style is more difficult to pinpoint than, say, Scorsese or DePalma’s, but it is no less effective in its narrative capabilities.
- 6/13/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
"It's super human! Super music. Super magic. And super amazing." Kino Lorber has dropped a new trailer for the long lost action classic Stunt Rock, an Australian stuntman film from 1978 that's being re-released as a 4K restoration. While working on a TV show in L.A., famed Australian stuntman Grant Page helps an up-and-coming fantasy-themed rock band develop special FX and dangerous stunts for their act. "Exploding onto screens nationwide March 25!" Helmed by Ozploitation legend Brian Trenchard-Smith, Stunt Rock is a breathless, action-packed 90-minute trailer. Footage from other of his films (as well as licensed clips from the original Gone in 60 Seconds) pad out the impressive new stunts and the Spinal Tap-esque musical excursions of Sorcery, featuring an on-stage battle between good and evil, magic, a wizard, and a flame-throwing devil... Stunt Rock is danger as you never imagined it! Uh this sounds and looks totally badass, why did no...
- 2/28/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
(Den of Geek will receive a portion of the sales from the links on this page)
On Saturday, August 1 at 9:15 Edt, 36 Cinema, the cinematic platform arm of lifestyle brand 36 Chambers, will host a special online screening of 1975 kung fu movie The Man From Hong Kong, which stars Jimmy Wang Yu (of the brilliant Master of the Flying Guillotine) and George Lazenby (the underrated James Bond who played the iconic role only once in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service).
The virtual screening will be accompanied by live commentary by Dan Halsted (head programmer at the Hollywood Theater) and Man From Hong Kong director Brian Trenchard Smith. The screening will be moderated by Mustafa Shaikh, the co-founder of 36 Chambers.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Man From Hong Kong, courtesy of 36 Cinema:
“When Australian police discover a massive drug smuggling ring with connections to Hong Kong, they fly in master...
On Saturday, August 1 at 9:15 Edt, 36 Cinema, the cinematic platform arm of lifestyle brand 36 Chambers, will host a special online screening of 1975 kung fu movie The Man From Hong Kong, which stars Jimmy Wang Yu (of the brilliant Master of the Flying Guillotine) and George Lazenby (the underrated James Bond who played the iconic role only once in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service).
The virtual screening will be accompanied by live commentary by Dan Halsted (head programmer at the Hollywood Theater) and Man From Hong Kong director Brian Trenchard Smith. The screening will be moderated by Mustafa Shaikh, the co-founder of 36 Chambers.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Man From Hong Kong, courtesy of 36 Cinema:
“When Australian police discover a massive drug smuggling ring with connections to Hong Kong, they fly in master...
- 7/31/2020
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
Initially announced at their Comic-Con panel, Scream Factory has now revealed the full list of special features and cover art for their Collector's Edition Blu-ray of 1981's Road Games (starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis) ahead of its release on November 12th:
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Scream Factory will release Road Games on Blu-ray™ on November 12, and riding shotgun is a host of new bonus features, including a new interview, audio commentary, script read, and music demos.
Customers ordering from Shoutfactory.com will receive an exclusive 18x24 rolled poster featuring our brand new artwork, available while supplies last.
Stacy Keach is Pat Quid, a lone trucker who plays games to keep his sanity on long hauls through the desolate Australian Outback. Jamie Lee Curtis is a free-spirited hitchhiker looking for excitement with a game of her own. And somewhere up ahead is a maniac in a van whose...
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Scream Factory will release Road Games on Blu-ray™ on November 12, and riding shotgun is a host of new bonus features, including a new interview, audio commentary, script read, and music demos.
Customers ordering from Shoutfactory.com will receive an exclusive 18x24 rolled poster featuring our brand new artwork, available while supplies last.
Stacy Keach is Pat Quid, a lone trucker who plays games to keep his sanity on long hauls through the desolate Australian Outback. Jamie Lee Curtis is a free-spirited hitchhiker looking for excitement with a game of her own. And somewhere up ahead is a maniac in a van whose...
- 10/10/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Terry Norris and Julia Blake.
Julia Blake and Terry Norris last night received the 2018 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony at the Arts Centre Melbourne.
The award presented by Foxtel recognises the couple’s careers spanning more than five decades and their support of Equity campaigns, particularly the battle for Australian stories on screens and stages.
Previous recipients include Peter Carroll, the late Bob Hornery, Maggie Dence, Ron Haddrick, Jill Perryman, Kevan Johnston, Toni Lamond, Grant Page, Anne Phelan and Noeline Brown.
Equity president Chloe Dallimore described the husband and wife duo as an incredibly popular choice among Equity voters, stating: “Julia and Terry are deeply respected luminaries in our industry. What shines through most is their unswerving commitment to support others, especially our younger performers.
“Their tireless lobbying and campaigning efforts means that many of the working conditions we enjoy today are thanks to their hard work. We...
Julia Blake and Terry Norris last night received the 2018 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony at the Arts Centre Melbourne.
The award presented by Foxtel recognises the couple’s careers spanning more than five decades and their support of Equity campaigns, particularly the battle for Australian stories on screens and stages.
Previous recipients include Peter Carroll, the late Bob Hornery, Maggie Dence, Ron Haddrick, Jill Perryman, Kevan Johnston, Toni Lamond, Grant Page, Anne Phelan and Noeline Brown.
Equity president Chloe Dallimore described the husband and wife duo as an incredibly popular choice among Equity voters, stating: “Julia and Terry are deeply respected luminaries in our industry. What shines through most is their unswerving commitment to support others, especially our younger performers.
“Their tireless lobbying and campaigning efforts means that many of the working conditions we enjoy today are thanks to their hard work. We...
- 11/12/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Grant Page accepts the Screen Nsw Award from George Miller..
Screen Nsw has gifted its inaugural annual award to legendary stuntman Grant Page, who has coordinated stunts for the likes of Mel Gibson and Jackie Chan.
Page was presented the $10,000 award, designed to .honour an individual to whom both screen audiences and the industry owe a significant debt., by George Miller. The director first worked with Page on the original Mad Max, as well as Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
.Working, under fierce and extraordinary circumstances, on the first Mad Max,.I came to know the calibre of Grant Page. A masterful and innovative stuntman, he has a deep and elegant intelligence. He taught me a lot about filmmaking but even more about life. Inspirations which have sustained me ever since. Grant is heroic in every sense of the word,. said Miller.
Courtney Gibson, CEO of Screen Nsw, said: .When the director yells .action. on set,...
Screen Nsw has gifted its inaugural annual award to legendary stuntman Grant Page, who has coordinated stunts for the likes of Mel Gibson and Jackie Chan.
Page was presented the $10,000 award, designed to .honour an individual to whom both screen audiences and the industry owe a significant debt., by George Miller. The director first worked with Page on the original Mad Max, as well as Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
.Working, under fierce and extraordinary circumstances, on the first Mad Max,.I came to know the calibre of Grant Page. A masterful and innovative stuntman, he has a deep and elegant intelligence. He taught me a lot about filmmaking but even more about life. Inspirations which have sustained me ever since. Grant is heroic in every sense of the word,. said Miller.
Courtney Gibson, CEO of Screen Nsw, said: .When the director yells .action. on set,...
- 12/5/2016
- by Inside Film Correspondent
- IF.com.au
The third week of September has a lot of fantastic horror and sci-fi home entertainment offerings coming our way, including an incredible pair of Criterion Blu-ray releases—Cat People (1942) and Blood Simple—as well as the 30th Anniversary Edition of Labyrinth and the Special Edition of Brian Trenchard-Smith’s Dead End Drive-In. Other notable titles being released on September 20th include the horror doc The Blackout Experiments (which premiered earlier this year at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival), Sacrifice, The Rift (1990), Beware! The Blob, and a Blu-ray set featuring all kinds of Twin Peaks goodness.
Beware! The Blob (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)
Newly Re-mastered in HD! The Blob returns... more outrageous than ever in this 1972 sequel to the popular sci-fi classic! Plenty of familiar faces, including Robert Walker Jr. (Ensign Pulver), Larry Hagman (Dallas), Sid Haig (Busting), Burgess Meredith (Rocky), Dick Van Patten (Eight is Enough), Godfrey Cambridge...
Beware! The Blob (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)
Newly Re-mastered in HD! The Blob returns... more outrageous than ever in this 1972 sequel to the popular sci-fi classic! Plenty of familiar faces, including Robert Walker Jr. (Ensign Pulver), Larry Hagman (Dallas), Sid Haig (Busting), Burgess Meredith (Rocky), Dick Van Patten (Eight is Enough), Godfrey Cambridge...
- 9/20/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
"It's that rat circus out there, I'm beginning to enjoy it. Look, any longer out on that road and I'm one of them, a terminal psychotic, except that I've got this bronze badge that says that I'm one of the good guys."
And so we were introduced to the ticking time bomb of fury that is Mel Gibson, at least on screen, in "Mad Max."
Released 35 years ago this week (on April 12, 1979), George Miller's film about a near-future cop who turns vigilante when a biker gang kills his partner and his family, made an international star out of Gibson, made Miller an A-list director, and helped put the new wave of Australian cinema on the world map. It also launched a franchise that continues to this day; next year, Miller will finally release the long-gestating "Mad Max: Fury Road," with Tom Hardy taking over as Max.
While the original...
And so we were introduced to the ticking time bomb of fury that is Mel Gibson, at least on screen, in "Mad Max."
Released 35 years ago this week (on April 12, 1979), George Miller's film about a near-future cop who turns vigilante when a biker gang kills his partner and his family, made an international star out of Gibson, made Miller an A-list director, and helped put the new wave of Australian cinema on the world map. It also launched a franchise that continues to this day; next year, Miller will finally release the long-gestating "Mad Max: Fury Road," with Tom Hardy taking over as Max.
While the original...
- 4/12/2014
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Bts’ classic rock concert/stunt/explosion hybrid comes to TCM! Screens in the homeland, too!
We all know the legend of Stunt Rock by now, I hope: how Brian Trenchard-Smith conceived of a wacky hybrid of stunts and rock concert, the limitations of the shoot, the cult classic love letter to actual, human-performed stunts that was born and how, 30+ years later, that cult legend lives on in midnight screenings and smoke-filled basements. Grant Page, the film’s stuntman star, is a complete madman in the film, and if you don’t walk away from a viewing of it all warm and gushy and longing for modern action spectacles to bring back more honest-to-a-god stunt work*, I think you and I can safely assume we’ll never be friends.
Stunt Rock is just a simple, awesome pleasure and if you’ve never seen it, now is finally your chance. The film...
We all know the legend of Stunt Rock by now, I hope: how Brian Trenchard-Smith conceived of a wacky hybrid of stunts and rock concert, the limitations of the shoot, the cult classic love letter to actual, human-performed stunts that was born and how, 30+ years later, that cult legend lives on in midnight screenings and smoke-filled basements. Grant Page, the film’s stuntman star, is a complete madman in the film, and if you don’t walk away from a viewing of it all warm and gushy and longing for modern action spectacles to bring back more honest-to-a-god stunt work*, I think you and I can safely assume we’ll never be friends.
Stunt Rock is just a simple, awesome pleasure and if you’ve never seen it, now is finally your chance. The film...
- 10/13/2011
- by Danny
- Trailers from Hell
Brian Trenchard-Smith looks deep into the art of directing animals, long before the digital age.
When Brian Trenchard-Smith wants to tell you about directing animals on film, you step out of the way. Here’s Brian with many, many wonderful tales (and tails).
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the latest example of how digital makes possible previously impossible animal actions, like a gorilla leaping from the Golden Gate Bridge into a helicopter cockpit. Take a look at the Comicon teaser.
But there was a time when the animal and the lens were all you had to work with. In the pre-cgi era, I was lucky enough to stage sequences involving cats, bobcats, dogs, lions, elephants, boa constrictors, chimps, spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, a mud crab, a pigeon, and a frog.
Working with All Creatures Great And Small requires complex planning, flexibility, and infinite patience. I hold the trainers...
When Brian Trenchard-Smith wants to tell you about directing animals on film, you step out of the way. Here’s Brian with many, many wonderful tales (and tails).
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the latest example of how digital makes possible previously impossible animal actions, like a gorilla leaping from the Golden Gate Bridge into a helicopter cockpit. Take a look at the Comicon teaser.
But there was a time when the animal and the lens were all you had to work with. In the pre-cgi era, I was lucky enough to stage sequences involving cats, bobcats, dogs, lions, elephants, boa constrictors, chimps, spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, a mud crab, a pigeon, and a frog.
Working with All Creatures Great And Small requires complex planning, flexibility, and infinite patience. I hold the trainers...
- 8/11/2011
- by Danny
- Trailers from Hell
Stunt men and women are the go-to team for risk-taking. But is this school of hard knocks doing it tough in the industry. Georgina Pearson reports.
As humans, we have a natural fascination with danger. Since Buster Keaton emerged unscathed from a house collapsing around him (Steamboat Bill Jr) we have been unable to tear ourselves from a thrilling action sequence, or a daring gunfight.
However, with each actor comes a stunt double and despite their relatively low-profile these gutsy professionals put their bodies on the line for their craft – and in turn are vital to the success of the films they represent. But as we move into an age of increased CGI and VFX, the fundamentals of post-production are rapidly shifting. Not only do we now have the ability to digitally change the way an entire scene is shaped – but we can actually create the physical characters within that scene.
As humans, we have a natural fascination with danger. Since Buster Keaton emerged unscathed from a house collapsing around him (Steamboat Bill Jr) we have been unable to tear ourselves from a thrilling action sequence, or a daring gunfight.
However, with each actor comes a stunt double and despite their relatively low-profile these gutsy professionals put their bodies on the line for their craft – and in turn are vital to the success of the films they represent. But as we move into an age of increased CGI and VFX, the fundamentals of post-production are rapidly shifting. Not only do we now have the ability to digitally change the way an entire scene is shaped – but we can actually create the physical characters within that scene.
- 7/6/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
In this new feature on the site, I'll be periodically posting various oddballs trailers from the far reaches of cinema obscurity. So, without any further ado, let's check out some "coming attractions"!
Stunt Rock (1978):
This mind-melting slab of Australian lunacy pairs footage of wild stuntman Grant Page with performances by goofy 70's rockers/magicians Sorcery! Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith of Turkey Shoot, Dead End Drive-in and Leprechaun 4: In Space fame.
Frankenstein General Hospital (1988):
Oh boy, this looks ridiculous. A forgotten straight-to-video comedy featuring a respectable cast of recognizable character actors including lovable lug Irwin Keyes, Mark Blankfield, Leslie Jordan and even Ben Stein. There's a part of me that wants to check this out, while another part of me screams "What the fuck is wrong with you?!".
Night of the Dribbler (1990):
Jesus Christ, where did this come from?! An absurd high school slasher flick/goofball comedy...
Stunt Rock (1978):
This mind-melting slab of Australian lunacy pairs footage of wild stuntman Grant Page with performances by goofy 70's rockers/magicians Sorcery! Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith of Turkey Shoot, Dead End Drive-in and Leprechaun 4: In Space fame.
Frankenstein General Hospital (1988):
Oh boy, this looks ridiculous. A forgotten straight-to-video comedy featuring a respectable cast of recognizable character actors including lovable lug Irwin Keyes, Mark Blankfield, Leslie Jordan and even Ben Stein. There's a part of me that wants to check this out, while another part of me screams "What the fuck is wrong with you?!".
Night of the Dribbler (1990):
Jesus Christ, where did this come from?! An absurd high school slasher flick/goofball comedy...
- 7/1/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Kevin, Mark & Parker)
Nope, we aren’t offering an all expenses paid trip to Jesus Camp – but what we do have are three copies of the new Jim Caviezel vehicle Long Weekend (review here), directed by Jamie Blanks, to give away courtesy of Showbox Home Entertainment and The Associates.
Synopsis:
When unhappily married and recently estranged city couple Peter (Caviezel) and Carla (Claudia Karvan) set off for a long weekend camping in a remote but picturesque spot on Austalia’s North Coast with Peter’s friend Luke and his girlfriend, they are hoping that a few days of sun, surf and solitude will help heal their marital wounds. After getting lost in the dark and spending an uncomfortable night in their car, Peter and Carla awake to find themselves parked mere yards from their intended destination and, despite the mysterious non-arrival of Luke and his partner, set up camp. In stereotypical city folk...
Synopsis:
When unhappily married and recently estranged city couple Peter (Caviezel) and Carla (Claudia Karvan) set off for a long weekend camping in a remote but picturesque spot on Austalia’s North Coast with Peter’s friend Luke and his girlfriend, they are hoping that a few days of sun, surf and solitude will help heal their marital wounds. After getting lost in the dark and spending an uncomfortable night in their car, Peter and Carla awake to find themselves parked mere yards from their intended destination and, despite the mysterious non-arrival of Luke and his partner, set up camp. In stereotypical city folk...
- 1/23/2010
- by Pestilence
- DreadCentral.com
Unfortunately, no, this isn’t an announcement that all UK readers get an extra day off work next month, but lovers of Mother Nature can at least rejoice as Showbox Home Entertainment will release Jamie (Urban Legend, Storm Warning) Blanks’ eco-horror remake Long Weekend (previously titled Nature’s Grave in the Us) to DVD on February 8th.
Starring Jim Caviezel and Claudia Karvan, the synopsis is as follows:
When unhappily married and recently estranged city couple Peter (Caviezel) and Carla (Karvan) set off for a long weekend camping in a remote but picturesque spot on Austalia’s North Coast with Peter’s friend Luke and his girlfriend, they are hoping that a few days of sun, surf and solitude will help heal their marital wounds. After getting lost in the dark and spending an uncomfortable night in their car, Peter and Carla awake to find themselves parked mere yards from their intended destination and,...
Starring Jim Caviezel and Claudia Karvan, the synopsis is as follows:
When unhappily married and recently estranged city couple Peter (Caviezel) and Carla (Karvan) set off for a long weekend camping in a remote but picturesque spot on Austalia’s North Coast with Peter’s friend Luke and his girlfriend, they are hoping that a few days of sun, surf and solitude will help heal their marital wounds. After getting lost in the dark and spending an uncomfortable night in their car, Peter and Carla awake to find themselves parked mere yards from their intended destination and,...
- 1/20/2010
- by Pestilence
- DreadCentral.com
Christopher Lee isn't actually a wizard, he just plays one in the movies (and sort of looks like one in real life, now that we think of it). But still, that hasn't stopped him from diving headlong into the mystical, magickal world of Wizard Rock, with a full-blown symphonic concept album he's calling Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross.
And, yes, we know the real Charlemagne wasn't technically a wizard (just the subject of an awesome Steely Dan song and most of the Hold Steady's Separation Sunday) but Lee's album is still a prime example of bearded, bong-glazed Wizard Rock, full of trilling strings and rolling timpani drums, songs with titles like "The Iron Crown of Lombardy" and "The Bloody Verdict of Verden," and Lee's booming voice, which, much like the legendary Sword of Erdrick, is strong enough to cleave even the heartiest of steel. Not to mention, you know,...
And, yes, we know the real Charlemagne wasn't technically a wizard (just the subject of an awesome Steely Dan song and most of the Hold Steady's Separation Sunday) but Lee's album is still a prime example of bearded, bong-glazed Wizard Rock, full of trilling strings and rolling timpani drums, songs with titles like "The Iron Crown of Lombardy" and "The Bloody Verdict of Verden," and Lee's booming voice, which, much like the legendary Sword of Erdrick, is strong enough to cleave even the heartiest of steel. Not to mention, you know,...
- 1/7/2010
- by James Montgomery
- MTV Newsroom
PopCrunch just put up a compilation of the 13 Most Dangerous Movie Stunts Done Without Stunt Doubles and, well, it's missing a few must-haves for such a topic. But before getting to who/what didn't make the cut, let's look at those who did: Jason Statham's helmet-less bike ride wearing a hospital gown in Crank? Sylvester Stallone in Rambo and Harrison Ford in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull simply because they were old during filming? Christian Bale losing 63 pounds for The Machinist? Matt Damon filming a "scene in the water" in one of the Bourne films? I find few of those qualifying of a Most Dangerous label.
Now PC's list isn't always so nebulous. Jackie Chan, Tom Cruise, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd all warrant being on such a list, but unfortunately they're inclusion only serves to highlight how lacking the rest of the roster is; not to mention their...
Now PC's list isn't always so nebulous. Jackie Chan, Tom Cruise, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd all warrant being on such a list, but unfortunately they're inclusion only serves to highlight how lacking the rest of the roster is; not to mention their...
- 12/9/2009
- by Peter Hall
- Cinematical
Kill Devil Hills - The scary season has arrived.
In the spirit of movies that make you fear going to the movies comes The Hills Run Red on DVD. Tyler (Tad Hilgenbrinck) is a film geek obsessed with an ’80s film called The Hills Run Red. The movie was quickly yanked from theaters and no prints or videotapes of the film exist. He finds a clue to the movie by locating one of its stars played by Sophie Monk. After a lapdance, she agrees to take Tad and his two friends to the shooting location. Tad doesn’t realize there might be a sequel in production.
Star Tad Hilgenbrinck and director Dave Parker called up the Party Favors hotline to chat about their grisly horror film about a gruesome horror film recently released on DVD by Warner Premiere.
Tad has been in Epic Movie, Disaster Movie and Lost Boys: The Tribe,...
In the spirit of movies that make you fear going to the movies comes The Hills Run Red on DVD. Tyler (Tad Hilgenbrinck) is a film geek obsessed with an ’80s film called The Hills Run Red. The movie was quickly yanked from theaters and no prints or videotapes of the film exist. He finds a clue to the movie by locating one of its stars played by Sophie Monk. After a lapdance, she agrees to take Tad and his two friends to the shooting location. Tad doesn’t realize there might be a sequel in production.
Star Tad Hilgenbrinck and director Dave Parker called up the Party Favors hotline to chat about their grisly horror film about a gruesome horror film recently released on DVD by Warner Premiere.
Tad has been in Epic Movie, Disaster Movie and Lost Boys: The Tribe,...
- 10/21/2009
- by UncaScroogeMcD
There is something insanely romantic about a movie on a city rooftop. And I’m not just talking taking a hold of your girl’s hand. It’s the night air, the hint nostalgia for drive-in movies, and hopefully stars in the sky as well as the screen.
Here is Portland’s schedule thanks to the Northwest Film Center …
The Northwest Film Center presents: Top Down: Rooftop Films July 16-August 27 This summer the Northwest Film Center’s Top Down rooftop cinema event is back for a fifth season. Warm starry nights in downtown Portland are filled with entertaining films, culinary treats, live music and spectacular city views, all atop the panoramic parking rooftop at the Hotel deLuxe (Sw 15th at Yamhill). The evenings begin at 8pm with local music and refreshments. Gracie’s Restaurant will offer easy-to-juggle meals, snacks and cocktails, and additional beverages will be available from Tazo and BridgePort Brewing.
Here is Portland’s schedule thanks to the Northwest Film Center …
The Northwest Film Center presents: Top Down: Rooftop Films July 16-August 27 This summer the Northwest Film Center’s Top Down rooftop cinema event is back for a fifth season. Warm starry nights in downtown Portland are filled with entertaining films, culinary treats, live music and spectacular city views, all atop the panoramic parking rooftop at the Hotel deLuxe (Sw 15th at Yamhill). The evenings begin at 8pm with local music and refreshments. Gracie’s Restaurant will offer easy-to-juggle meals, snacks and cocktails, and additional beverages will be available from Tazo and BridgePort Brewing.
- 7/9/2009
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
“Ozploitation”—the frequently low-budget but often equally high-energy fare of several genres that proliferated Down Under in the 1970s and ’80s, was characterized by its brash aggressiveness, and is celebrated in kind by Mark Hartley’s Not Quite Hollywood. Subtitled The Wild, Untold Story Of Ozploitation!, it’s a rip-roaring, addictive documentary that fully conveys just how wild those flicks were, while assuring little of their history remains untold.
Not Quite Hollywood (playing this weekend at the Philadelphia Film Festival, and set for further theatrical play by Magnolia Pictures) charts this cinematic movement from its origins in the early ’70s, when censorship was relaxed in favor of the creation of an R (adults-only) rating. Unlike filmmakers in other countries who (willingly or not) avoided such a tag, those in Australia embraced it, and began churning out sex-and-violence-packed films with abandon. Hartley gives equal weight to softcore features (silly, bawdy stuff...
Not Quite Hollywood (playing this weekend at the Philadelphia Film Festival, and set for further theatrical play by Magnolia Pictures) charts this cinematic movement from its origins in the early ’70s, when censorship was relaxed in favor of the creation of an R (adults-only) rating. Unlike filmmakers in other countries who (willingly or not) avoided such a tag, those in Australia embraced it, and began churning out sex-and-violence-packed films with abandon. Hartley gives equal weight to softcore features (silly, bawdy stuff...
- 3/27/2009
- Fangoria
Press Release: For Immediate Release
Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX
Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008
Contact:
Tim League
(512) 912-0529
info@fantasticfest.com
www.fantasticfest.com
While much of the attention of Fantastic Fest centers around the new discoveries and premiere feature films, each year we always present a new repertory retrospective. This year we are featuring two classic series: Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics and Behind The Pink Curtain: Japanese Pinku Films.
Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics
This year, Fantastic Fest is dedicated to making everyone we know into giant, committed fans of Ozploitation cinema. That is - the peculiar brand of exploitation films that bubbled to the surface in Australia in the '70s and '80s. Certainly the best known are the Mad Max films but those didn't emerge in a vacuum. The industry was already pumping out films as rude, tough and resourceful as the primal Aussie himself,...
Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX
Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008
Contact:
Tim League
(512) 912-0529
info@fantasticfest.com
www.fantasticfest.com
While much of the attention of Fantastic Fest centers around the new discoveries and premiere feature films, each year we always present a new repertory retrospective. This year we are featuring two classic series: Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics and Behind The Pink Curtain: Japanese Pinku Films.
Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics
This year, Fantastic Fest is dedicated to making everyone we know into giant, committed fans of Ozploitation cinema. That is - the peculiar brand of exploitation films that bubbled to the surface in Australia in the '70s and '80s. Certainly the best known are the Mad Max films but those didn't emerge in a vacuum. The industry was already pumping out films as rude, tough and resourceful as the primal Aussie himself,...
- 8/14/2008
- by Tim League
- OriginalAlamo.com
Press Release: For Immediate Release
Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX
Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008
Contact:
Tim League
(512) 912-0529
info@fantasticfest.com
www.fantasticfest.com
While much of the attention of Fantastic Fest centers around the new discoveries and premiere feature films, each year we always present a new repertory retrospective. This year we are featuring two classic series: Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics and Behind The Pink Curtain: Japanese Pinku Films.
Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics
This year, Fantastic Fest is dedicated to making everyone we know into giant, committed fans of Ozploitation cinema. That is - the peculiar brand of exploitation films that bubbled to the surface in Australia in the '70s and '80s. Certainly the best known are the Mad Max films but those didn't emerge in a vacuum. The industry was already pumping out films as rude, tough and resourceful as the primal Aussie himself,...
Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX
Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008
Contact:
Tim League
(512) 912-0529
info@fantasticfest.com
www.fantasticfest.com
While much of the attention of Fantastic Fest centers around the new discoveries and premiere feature films, each year we always present a new repertory retrospective. This year we are featuring two classic series: Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics and Behind The Pink Curtain: Japanese Pinku Films.
Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics
This year, Fantastic Fest is dedicated to making everyone we know into giant, committed fans of Ozploitation cinema. That is - the peculiar brand of exploitation films that bubbled to the surface in Australia in the '70s and '80s. Certainly the best known are the Mad Max films but those didn't emerge in a vacuum. The industry was already pumping out films as rude, tough and resourceful as the primal Aussie himself,...
- 8/14/2008
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tim League)
- FantasticFest.com
Those boys at the Alamo Drafthouse have announced a slew of films with will be playing as part of the repertory series at the upcoming Fantastic Fest, all of which fall under the Japanese pinku (porno) or ozsploitation categories! Does this mean Mad Max and Road Warrior will be playing? Yup. How about Blue Film Woman and S&M Hunter? Yup. Check out the full list after the break!
Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics
In 2008, Fantastic Fest is dedicated to making everyone we know into giant, committed fans of Ozploitation cinema. That is - the peculiar brand of exploitation films that bubbled to the surface in Australia in the '70s and '80s. Certainly the best known are the Mad Max films but those didn't emerge in a vacuum. The industry was already pumping out films as rude, tough and resourceful as the primal Aussie himself, kicked out of...
Not Quite Hollywood: Ozsploitation Classics
In 2008, Fantastic Fest is dedicated to making everyone we know into giant, committed fans of Ozploitation cinema. That is - the peculiar brand of exploitation films that bubbled to the surface in Australia in the '70s and '80s. Certainly the best known are the Mad Max films but those didn't emerge in a vacuum. The industry was already pumping out films as rude, tough and resourceful as the primal Aussie himself, kicked out of...
- 8/14/2008
- QuietEarth.us
ArtMattan Prods.
NEW YORK -- Australian director Rolf De Heer's Outback saga "The Tracker" has the punch of a good Western with a clean and direct script plus an adventurous use of songs and folk paintings. The film's single-minded, somewhat stylized approach reminds of Clint Eastwood at his most economic and brutal -- "High Plains Drifter", for instance. "The Tracker" has no warm moments and few scenes of redemption. General audiences will probably find these raw emotions a tough watch, though critics and cineastes will certainly be impressed. The story's similarities to Philip Noyce's talked-about "Rabbit Proof Fence" could widen its boxoffice appeal.
De Heer's script tells of four very different men on the trail of an Aboriginal fugitive in 1920s Australia: The Fanatic (Gary Sweet, from De Heer's more recent "Alexandra's Project"), a racial supremacist who hates all Aborigines
the Follower (Damon Gameau), a nervy rookie policeman
the Veteran (Grant Page), an aging conscript with no stomach for his job
and the Aboriginal Tracker (David Gulpilil), who seems content to do the white men's bidding.
As the quartet range deeper into the Outback, conflicts develop. The Fanatic murders any Aborigine he comes across. These acts of violence gradually alienate him from the Follower. The Tracker, in his element, coolly manipulates the situation to his advantage and finally dispenses rough justice to the white men.
De Heer's approach to narrative is unusual. He allows folksy songs (written by Graham Tardif and sung by Archie Roach) to run at length over the images. Far from being background music, these songs elucidate both the history of the treatment of Aborigines and the feelings of the Tracker. The acts of violence are represented by Aboriginal paintings inserted into the narrative. Ian Jones' cinematography emphasizes the vastness of the land, effectively using a quick zoom -- usually the most reviled of photographic techniques -- to pick out a relevant feature or character in the Outback.
The film is unequivocal in its depiction of how the settlers sought to destroy Aboriginal life and culture.by Stephen Hopkins and Eric Bross. Hopkins, whose experience at action shows includes directing "24," brings a brisk pace and a sharp eye for composition to the first night. Bross maintains the roller-coaster ride on the second and third nights, eliciting strong but restrained performances. In particular, Koteas shines as the mysterious but dedicated agent juggling long-distance family responsibilities with a job that doesn't come with a well-defined playbook.
Vancouver fills in for Seattle thanks, in part, to geographical proximity and similar climates. Scenes of foreign locales, also shot in Vancouver, are more generic and slightly less convincing.
TRAFFIC: THE MINISERIES
USA Network
Initial Entertainment Group
Credits:
Executive producer/writer: Ron Hutchinson
Producers: Stephen Hopkins, Jay Benson
Consulting producer: Ilene Kahn Power
Directors: Stephen Hopkins, Eric Bross
Director of photography: Joel Ransom
Production designer: David Fischer
Editors: Tod Feuerman, John Duffy
Music: Jeff Rona
Art director: Don Macaulay
Set decorator: Dominique Fauguet-Lemaitre
Casting: Mary Jo Slater, Steve Brooksbank
Cast:
Adam Kadyrov: Cliff Curtis
Mike McKay: Elias Koteas
Brent Delaney: Martin Donovan
Ben Edmonds: Balthazar Getty
Carole McKay: Mary McCormack
Fazal: Ritchie Coster
Ronny Cho: Nelson Lee
Alex Edmonds: Tony Musante
Tyler McKay: Justin Chatwin
Kahn: Brian George
Angie: Jennifer Rae Westleyear="none" />Editors: William Morris, Teki Cruickshank, Adrian Herrera, Fred Hawthorne, Marc Cahill, Michael Auerbach, Brian Horn, Jeff Cooper
Host: George Gray
Starring:
Todd Santos="none" />No MPAA rating " />Shane McCutcheon: Katherine Moennig
Dana Fairbanks: Erin Daniels
Alice Pieszecki: Leisha Hailey
Kit Porter: Pam Grierppencott, David Vanacore, Mark T. Williams
Main title theme: The O-Jays
Casting: Rob LaPlante...
NEW YORK -- Australian director Rolf De Heer's Outback saga "The Tracker" has the punch of a good Western with a clean and direct script plus an adventurous use of songs and folk paintings. The film's single-minded, somewhat stylized approach reminds of Clint Eastwood at his most economic and brutal -- "High Plains Drifter", for instance. "The Tracker" has no warm moments and few scenes of redemption. General audiences will probably find these raw emotions a tough watch, though critics and cineastes will certainly be impressed. The story's similarities to Philip Noyce's talked-about "Rabbit Proof Fence" could widen its boxoffice appeal.
De Heer's script tells of four very different men on the trail of an Aboriginal fugitive in 1920s Australia: The Fanatic (Gary Sweet, from De Heer's more recent "Alexandra's Project"), a racial supremacist who hates all Aborigines
the Follower (Damon Gameau), a nervy rookie policeman
the Veteran (Grant Page), an aging conscript with no stomach for his job
and the Aboriginal Tracker (David Gulpilil), who seems content to do the white men's bidding.
As the quartet range deeper into the Outback, conflicts develop. The Fanatic murders any Aborigine he comes across. These acts of violence gradually alienate him from the Follower. The Tracker, in his element, coolly manipulates the situation to his advantage and finally dispenses rough justice to the white men.
De Heer's approach to narrative is unusual. He allows folksy songs (written by Graham Tardif and sung by Archie Roach) to run at length over the images. Far from being background music, these songs elucidate both the history of the treatment of Aborigines and the feelings of the Tracker. The acts of violence are represented by Aboriginal paintings inserted into the narrative. Ian Jones' cinematography emphasizes the vastness of the land, effectively using a quick zoom -- usually the most reviled of photographic techniques -- to pick out a relevant feature or character in the Outback.
The film is unequivocal in its depiction of how the settlers sought to destroy Aboriginal life and culture.by Stephen Hopkins and Eric Bross. Hopkins, whose experience at action shows includes directing "24," brings a brisk pace and a sharp eye for composition to the first night. Bross maintains the roller-coaster ride on the second and third nights, eliciting strong but restrained performances. In particular, Koteas shines as the mysterious but dedicated agent juggling long-distance family responsibilities with a job that doesn't come with a well-defined playbook.
Vancouver fills in for Seattle thanks, in part, to geographical proximity and similar climates. Scenes of foreign locales, also shot in Vancouver, are more generic and slightly less convincing.
TRAFFIC: THE MINISERIES
USA Network
Initial Entertainment Group
Credits:
Executive producer/writer: Ron Hutchinson
Producers: Stephen Hopkins, Jay Benson
Consulting producer: Ilene Kahn Power
Directors: Stephen Hopkins, Eric Bross
Director of photography: Joel Ransom
Production designer: David Fischer
Editors: Tod Feuerman, John Duffy
Music: Jeff Rona
Art director: Don Macaulay
Set decorator: Dominique Fauguet-Lemaitre
Casting: Mary Jo Slater, Steve Brooksbank
Cast:
Adam Kadyrov: Cliff Curtis
Mike McKay: Elias Koteas
Brent Delaney: Martin Donovan
Ben Edmonds: Balthazar Getty
Carole McKay: Mary McCormack
Fazal: Ritchie Coster
Ronny Cho: Nelson Lee
Alex Edmonds: Tony Musante
Tyler McKay: Justin Chatwin
Kahn: Brian George
Angie: Jennifer Rae Westleyear="none" />Editors: William Morris, Teki Cruickshank, Adrian Herrera, Fred Hawthorne, Marc Cahill, Michael Auerbach, Brian Horn, Jeff Cooper
Host: George Gray
Starring:
Todd Santos="none" />No MPAA rating " />Shane McCutcheon: Katherine Moennig
Dana Fairbanks: Erin Daniels
Alice Pieszecki: Leisha Hailey
Kit Porter: Pam Grierppencott, David Vanacore, Mark T. Williams
Main title theme: The O-Jays
Casting: Rob LaPlante...
ArtMattan Prods.
NEW YORK -- Australian director Rolf De Heer's Outback saga "The Tracker" has the punch of a good Western with a clean and direct script plus an adventurous use of songs and folk paintings. The film's single-minded, somewhat stylized approach reminds of Clint Eastwood at his most economic and brutal -- "High Plains Drifter", for instance. "The Tracker" has no warm moments and few scenes of redemption. General audiences will probably find these raw emotions a tough watch, though critics and cineastes will certainly be impressed. The story's similarities to Philip Noyce's talked-about "Rabbit Proof Fence" could widen its boxoffice appeal.
De Heer's script tells of four very different men on the trail of an Aboriginal fugitive in 1920s Australia: The Fanatic (Gary Sweet, from De Heer's more recent "Alexandra's Project"), a racial supremacist who hates all Aborigines
the Follower (Damon Gameau), a nervy rookie policeman
the Veteran (Grant Page), an aging conscript with no stomach for his job
and the Aboriginal Tracker (David Gulpilil), who seems content to do the white men's bidding.
As the quartet range deeper into the Outback, conflicts develop. The Fanatic murders any Aborigine he comes across. These acts of violence gradually alienate him from the Follower. The Tracker, in his element, coolly manipulates the situation to his advantage and finally dispenses rough justice to the white men.
De Heer's approach to narrative is unusual. He allows folksy songs (written by Graham Tardif and sung by Archie Roach) to run at length over the images. Far from being background music, these songs elucidate both the history of the treatment of Aborigines and the feelings of the Tracker. The acts of violence are represented by Aboriginal paintings inserted into the narrative. Ian Jones' cinematography emphasizes the vastness of the land, effectively using a quick zoom -- usually the most reviled of photographic techniques -- to pick out a relevant feature or character in the Outback.
The film is unequivocal in its depiction of how the settlers sought to destroy Aboriginal life and culture.by Stephen Hopkins and Eric Bross. Hopkins, whose experience at action shows includes directing "24," brings a brisk pace and a sharp eye for composition to the first night. Bross maintains the roller-coaster ride on the second and third nights, eliciting strong but restrained performances. In particular, Koteas shines as the mysterious but dedicated agent juggling long-distance family responsibilities with a job that doesn't come with a well-defined playbook.
Vancouver fills in for Seattle thanks, in part, to geographical proximity and similar climates. Scenes of foreign locales, also shot in Vancouver, are more generic and slightly less convincing.
TRAFFIC: THE MINISERIES
USA Network
Initial Entertainment Group
Credits:
Executive producer/writer: Ron Hutchinson
Producers: Stephen Hopkins, Jay Benson
Consulting producer: Ilene Kahn Power
Directors: Stephen Hopkins, Eric Bross
Director of photography: Joel Ransom
Production designer: David Fischer
Editors: Tod Feuerman, John Duffy
Music: Jeff Rona
Art director: Don Macaulay
Set decorator: Dominique Fauguet-Lemaitre
Casting: Mary Jo Slater, Steve Brooksbank
Cast:
Adam Kadyrov: Cliff Curtis
Mike McKay: Elias Koteas
Brent Delaney: Martin Donovan
Ben Edmonds: Balthazar Getty
Carole McKay: Mary McCormack
Fazal: Ritchie Coster
Ronny Cho: Nelson Lee
Alex Edmonds: Tony Musante
Tyler McKay: Justin Chatwin
Kahn: Brian George
Angie: Jennifer Rae Westleyear="none" />Editors: William Morris, Teki Cruickshank, Adrian Herrera, Fred Hawthorne, Marc Cahill, Michael Auerbach, Brian Horn, Jeff Cooper
Host: George Gray
Starring:
Todd Santos="none" />No MPAA rating " />Shane McCutcheon: Katherine Moennig
Dana Fairbanks: Erin Daniels
Alice Pieszecki: Leisha Hailey
Kit Porter: Pam Grierppencott, David Vanacore, Mark T. Williams
Main title theme: The O-Jays
Casting: Rob LaPlante...
NEW YORK -- Australian director Rolf De Heer's Outback saga "The Tracker" has the punch of a good Western with a clean and direct script plus an adventurous use of songs and folk paintings. The film's single-minded, somewhat stylized approach reminds of Clint Eastwood at his most economic and brutal -- "High Plains Drifter", for instance. "The Tracker" has no warm moments and few scenes of redemption. General audiences will probably find these raw emotions a tough watch, though critics and cineastes will certainly be impressed. The story's similarities to Philip Noyce's talked-about "Rabbit Proof Fence" could widen its boxoffice appeal.
De Heer's script tells of four very different men on the trail of an Aboriginal fugitive in 1920s Australia: The Fanatic (Gary Sweet, from De Heer's more recent "Alexandra's Project"), a racial supremacist who hates all Aborigines
the Follower (Damon Gameau), a nervy rookie policeman
the Veteran (Grant Page), an aging conscript with no stomach for his job
and the Aboriginal Tracker (David Gulpilil), who seems content to do the white men's bidding.
As the quartet range deeper into the Outback, conflicts develop. The Fanatic murders any Aborigine he comes across. These acts of violence gradually alienate him from the Follower. The Tracker, in his element, coolly manipulates the situation to his advantage and finally dispenses rough justice to the white men.
De Heer's approach to narrative is unusual. He allows folksy songs (written by Graham Tardif and sung by Archie Roach) to run at length over the images. Far from being background music, these songs elucidate both the history of the treatment of Aborigines and the feelings of the Tracker. The acts of violence are represented by Aboriginal paintings inserted into the narrative. Ian Jones' cinematography emphasizes the vastness of the land, effectively using a quick zoom -- usually the most reviled of photographic techniques -- to pick out a relevant feature or character in the Outback.
The film is unequivocal in its depiction of how the settlers sought to destroy Aboriginal life and culture.by Stephen Hopkins and Eric Bross. Hopkins, whose experience at action shows includes directing "24," brings a brisk pace and a sharp eye for composition to the first night. Bross maintains the roller-coaster ride on the second and third nights, eliciting strong but restrained performances. In particular, Koteas shines as the mysterious but dedicated agent juggling long-distance family responsibilities with a job that doesn't come with a well-defined playbook.
Vancouver fills in for Seattle thanks, in part, to geographical proximity and similar climates. Scenes of foreign locales, also shot in Vancouver, are more generic and slightly less convincing.
TRAFFIC: THE MINISERIES
USA Network
Initial Entertainment Group
Credits:
Executive producer/writer: Ron Hutchinson
Producers: Stephen Hopkins, Jay Benson
Consulting producer: Ilene Kahn Power
Directors: Stephen Hopkins, Eric Bross
Director of photography: Joel Ransom
Production designer: David Fischer
Editors: Tod Feuerman, John Duffy
Music: Jeff Rona
Art director: Don Macaulay
Set decorator: Dominique Fauguet-Lemaitre
Casting: Mary Jo Slater, Steve Brooksbank
Cast:
Adam Kadyrov: Cliff Curtis
Mike McKay: Elias Koteas
Brent Delaney: Martin Donovan
Ben Edmonds: Balthazar Getty
Carole McKay: Mary McCormack
Fazal: Ritchie Coster
Ronny Cho: Nelson Lee
Alex Edmonds: Tony Musante
Tyler McKay: Justin Chatwin
Kahn: Brian George
Angie: Jennifer Rae Westleyear="none" />Editors: William Morris, Teki Cruickshank, Adrian Herrera, Fred Hawthorne, Marc Cahill, Michael Auerbach, Brian Horn, Jeff Cooper
Host: George Gray
Starring:
Todd Santos="none" />No MPAA rating " />Shane McCutcheon: Katherine Moennig
Dana Fairbanks: Erin Daniels
Alice Pieszecki: Leisha Hailey
Kit Porter: Pam Grierppencott, David Vanacore, Mark T. Williams
Main title theme: The O-Jays
Casting: Rob LaPlante...
- 1/27/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.